Will Jerome Felton's Three Game Suspension Affect Adrian Peterson's Start to the Season?

By Paul Seaver

Bruce Kluckhohn-USA Today Sports

On Monday afternoon, news emerged that the NFL suspended Minnesota Vikings star fullback Jerome Felton three games for a violation of the league’s substance abuse policy. The reports have indicated that the NFL suspension stemmed from a 2012 arrest for drunk driving prior to last season.

Felton went on to have a terrific year for the Vikings, paving the way for Adrian Peterson to rush for over 2,000 yards from scrimmage. Now however, Peterson will not have his back field bash brother for the first three games and ironically enough, the Vikings are set to take on back-to-back divisional opponents on the road to open the season.

Now while the fullback position is not exactly the end all, be all for Minnesota, there’s no denying the fact that the Vikings could take a hit from Felton’s immediate absence. Throw in the fact that Felton has not played at all this preseason due to an emergency appendectomy, the fullback may be a bit rusty when he can finally hit the field again for the team’s Week 4 action.

Now, while some believe this will surely have no impact on Peterson’s ability to dominate the ground game out of the gate, it’s still something to keep an eye on. If Peterson can start the season off with a bang without Felton alongside of him, well then, there’s no denying the even greater danger the star running back could pose once Felton returns.

Either way, it’s a wait and see scenario, but after last season, there’s surely no reason to underestimate Peterson’s ability and impact whatsoever.